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Romania in talks to push for resignation of minister

Posted October 13, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania's prime minister is meeting with ruling coalition leaders to push for the resignation of a minister being investigated for corruption.

Premier Mihai Tudose held talks with the junior Alliance of Democratic Liberals on Friday, hours after he accepted the resignation of two other ministers named in a land transfer criminal inquiry, which has caused weeks of tensions within the governing coalition.

The ministers are aides of the chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea, who is ineligible to be prime minister because of a 2016 vote-rigging conviction. Dragnea backed the ministers, but Tudose threatened to quit if they didn't resign.

Tudose wants Viorel Ilie, minister for relations with parliament, to step down after prosecutors launched a probe on suspicion he gave officials unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, speaks during a press conference, following a six-hour meeting of the ruling Social Democratic Party in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. The prime minister says two ministers named in a land transfer criminal inquiry have resigned after weeks of tensions, signalling a victory for the country's anti-corruption fight. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) The Associated Press

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